These brownies came out so unbelievably awesome… and I’m not even a brownie fan. The best & only recipe you’ll ever need. Seriously.

My dad harvested a behemoth zucchini from our garden yesterday and I wanted to do something different with it instead of bread or grilling it. The key with baking anything with zucchini is removing every last bit of water from it. Be patient and these delectable brownies will reward you, pinky promise! I’m not wasting anymore time chatting… we need to get to this, now! Happy Monday friends ~ ox.

Happy Friday my friends! Still traveling, sorry for the delay in posting but internet (wifi) in some areas has been pathetic. We’re still in Indiana as my oldest has her final freshman exam this morning and then we head out and make our pilgrimage back to Pennsylvania. It’s been so much fun exploring Detroit and their vegan scene. And of course moving Sydney out of her dorm, taking her friends out to dinner and being with her again makes my heart happy. So I apologize for my absence but these little bites will make up for it! Promise. Easy. Fast. A chocolate punch without refined sugar and junky ingredients.

I made these last week at a girl’s event at Athleta. The girls made these with my supervision… and had so much fun! In fact, several sent me pics of the girls recreating in their own kitchens. They’re chocolatey and decadent without being overtly sweet. Packed with protein and nutrients… these aren’t just a treat but one with a nutritional punch. I hope you enjoy!

When you have an abundance of spotted bananas… you get creative and then add chocolate for an over-the-top, healthy treat! These almond banana blondies were gone in less than 24 hours in my kitchen. In fact, I pulled these out of the oven around 4p yesterday and when I got up at 4a to hit the gym… there were 2 left! Ummm okay, I get it. I’ll make more!

Think of these as if banana bread and fudge had a baby. They are dense and delectable. The banana and almond flavors are very pronounced. These little squares are so dessert-like, filling and so good. Seriously, you need these in your life. The blonde version to an undercooked, ooey gooey brownie yet better! Mmmm kay? Now go, make these. Thank me later 🙂

If you attended my Athleta meet & greet this past Monday, I made a pumpkin-less version of these. They are moist, not overtly sweet, delectable and the perfect comfort food. Adding beans clearly poses a healthier twist, along with maca (natural energy source) and no refined sugars tip this treat into a healthier category.

This recipe is very easy and all you need is a food processor or blender. Very simple, pretty much fail-proof and a hit with everyone. Let’s face it, no one needs to know black beans are in this recipe! The pumpkin adds a seasonal twist that is customary come September & October. Think about Halloween parties right through to Thanksgiving with this recipe. Let’s get started…

I’m starting to think that Tuesdays are going to surpass Mondays on the suck factor. Weird situations keep happening that 1. kill my run times 2. make my daughters cry and 3. make me feel like the worst mom on the planet.

Last Tuesday my youngest stepped off the bus and snapped her ligament that connects her leg to her foot. We spent all morning at the doc, hospital, X-rays, resting, eating, ice etc. Thankfully my sweet girl is on the mend and off crutches as of Monday but has a wonderfully bruised foot. It was my oldest daughter’s turn this week for a rough patch. Long story short, when she was younger my youngest smacked out about 1/3 rd of her front tooth out and it’s been bonded ever since. With her moving 10 hours away to attend her university we wanted to get a veneer on that tooth for more stability. While we await the 2nd attempt at the veneer (the first one the cosmetic dentist was not happy with) her temporary shattered at 1a this morning. This was the 2nd time in 3 days. Problem is that our wonderful cosmetic dentist teaches at Penn on Tuesday in Philly and isn’t here. His assistant was able to help however without pain meds. My daughter tried to handle the exposed nerve pain but after too long gripping my hand with great force, tears and pain… we found a nearby periodontist to come and administer Novocain. I felt like the worst mom EVER! Finally repaired and home. I won’t even get into my orthodontist appointment details and my pain because it doesn’t matter at this point. My oldest opted to sleep this afternoon and not go to school. Phew. Can this day be over, please?

Sorry for the long tirade… I made these crackers yesterday and they came out great! I wanted to share with you all because I feel like we all need a good cracker in our life. Great snack with jam, almond butter or hummus. Super easy to make. Store perfectly for a week. I hope you give these a try!

I made these bars for my family & for a friend today to spread a bit of joy through food. I often do this as a kind and unexpected act. It’s funny how something so small can impact someone so greatly. These are a bit on the decadent side but I cut these into small cubes and a little goes a long way. Plus, removing all treats from your diet isn’t practical. A treat, especially those protein-packed like these, are a wonderful little departure when necessary from clean eating.

I made this entire recipe in my stand mixer with minimal cleanup. These bars freeze and package to ship nicely. I’ve shipped these to friends/clients many times and would make a great care package treat for a loved on. I’m already thinking of care package ideas for when my daughter is off to college this fall.

I was terribly excited to get my hands on my talented friend/blogger’s Armen Liew new cookbook. Arem is the genius behind the blog The Big Man’s World. His is absolutely phenomenal & I highly recommend it. This is NOT sponsored in any way, shape or form but my opinion. If you love sweets but don’t love the calorie bomb/destruction to your eating. Aren’t a huge fan of sugar-overload. Check his blog and cookbook out. Today I whipped up his 4 ingredient flourless brownies in my Vitamix and man… I’m in love!

These brownies came together super fast. Perfect when you need a treat in a hurry… in fact the waiting for them to cool/slice took longer than prepping and baking! I hope you enjoy these as much as we do!

As December approaches, we transition from all things pumpkin spice into the crisp & refreshing flavor of peppermint. It’s rather coincidental how it aligns with the seasonal temperatures.

I wanted to take a different, albeit, healthier spin to a minty treat that would be perfect during the holiday season especially for snacking or your holiday breakfast, brunch menu or a gift-giving idea. Let’s face it, cookies will be everywhere so why not take a different & healthier approach. These muffins have a secret special ingredient – Peppermint Green Tea from Celestial Tea. Green tea has been known to improve blood flow and lower cholesterol. Studies found green tea helped prevent a range of heart-related issues, from high blood pressure to congestive heart failure as well as many other health benefits. Healthy and heart happy makes this little treat even better.

Through much recipe testing, I’ve found that adding the tea to warm coconut oil also makes this unique combination more flavorful and it yields a muffin that rivals a moist brownie in texture & flavor. Plus these muffins are grain and gluten free as well as vegan. Freeze nicely and are perfect prep ahead for the holidays.

Protein comes in many forms & these little lovelies are one of my favorites. I’ve recently had the opportunity to become wildly in love with Square Organic protein bars. Seriously, so so good! Since they sent me a box to try… we’ve purchased about 10 boxes. Crunch is our favorite… well along with mint, peanut butter and cherry. But I wanted to incorporate them into some of my recipes… think bites and cookies (coming soon). These are my first recipe to share with you all. Of course with September officially here I fell its acceptable to start cracking open the pumpkin. So these are a pumpkin spiced chocolate crunch bites that is perfect pre or post workout. Acceptable when that sweet craving hits. Perfect after-school snack idea. Or if you need something sweet post dinner.

These are packed with walnuts which are high in vitamin E, folate, melatonin, omega-3 fats, and antioxidants. Research shows walnut consumption may support brain health. The Square Organic bars are dairy, soy and gluten free. They believing in sourcing only the most nutrient-dense organic and non-gmo foods, and striving to work directly with farmers whenever possible to ensure an ethical supply chain from crop to bar. And you can use the code: EVERYDAY20 for your own 20% off. [Read more…]

Are you excited about the games in Brazil? I’m obsessed. Growing up swimming & watching my girls swim competitively most of their lives – our obsession begins with the trials. The passion, hard work, diligence and pursuit of something greater than yourself is so inspiring. Plus I’ll admit, I get totally weepy with the pageantry and spirit for our country. I know, I’m a big sap but I know I’m not alone. Our favorites to watch are swimming- without a doubt, gymnastics and all things running – go figure! I’m hoping to be running by that time.

In the spirit of the host country, Lucy asked me to use the Brazil nut as my inspiration. I’ll be honest, I never had the nut ever before as I’m pretty basic with my nut selection. I did my research and was blown away by the health benefits. High levels of selenium. Just one or two of these nuts per day is recommended. Other minerals are copper, magnesium, manganese, potassium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, and zinc. Copper helps prevent anemia and bone weakness (osteoporosis). This nut is also packed with thiamin and vitamin E. Hello nutritionally powerful nut.

Nut butters are a wonderful source of protein and necessary fats in your diet. My favorite way to incorporate nut butter is in my smoothies, overnight oats, on rice cakes and as a dip for fruit. Of course, baking and cooking are also fun ways to incorporate this delectable food. Click here for the full recipe.